Fundraiser to help family create special memories with son diagnosed with leukaemia

The family of a little boy who is on end-of-life care after being diagnosed with leukaemia during the pandemic say he has spent more time in hospitals than at home.Three-year-old Raphael from Stretford was born in March 2020 and his parents Michaela Platt and Vincent Mock, both 33, said they had a ‘wonderful’ first few months together until they started to notice lumps on their baby’s body.In December 2020, at just eight months old, Raphael was diagnosed with infant ALL type Leukaemia, a type of blood cancer in children with an excess number of lymphocytes in their blood which struggle to fight off infections.

“We noticed there were lumps under his arms and on his head,” says Michaela, who works as a childminder.

“His lymph nodes were enlarged, he was really, really tired and just very lethargic.

"Eventually, one GP referred us to Manchester Royal Infirmary and that’s what led to the diagnosis.

"The next day he went straight into surgery.”

Raphael spent seven months in hospital during which only one person could come to visit him at a time as he underwent gruelling chemotherapy.

After ringing the bell in hospital, Raphael was able to come home in July 2021.

Michaela and Vincent said they thought they had got through the worst of the situation until little Raphael relapsed in December 2021.Raphael then received a bone marrow transplant in July last year.

But after receiving treatment, he relapsed again and spent the rest of the year in hospital as he underwent further chemotherapy.“Because of bone marrow complications, he had to spend nearly a year in hospital,” dad Vincent, who worked as a delivery driver, explained.

“He had to spend nearly a year in hospital.

His family has now been told there is no treatment left available for him.

Both parents decided to go off work in order to look after Raphael full time and spend as much time with him as they can.His father Vincent said: “He’s very poorly but he’s still happy to play.

"But we’re expecting to have to take him into the hospice in the next week or so, where eventually what will happen will have to happen.

"We don’t know how long we have left together.”

Residents and neighbours have now launched a fundraiser online for the family to help them look after Raphael and continue to make special memories together. Donation buckets have also been left across Stretford and Urmston, and a fundraising event will take place at Victoria Parade in Urmston on Saturday (August 12) from 12pm.

It will feature live music, a bouncy castle, stalls and raffles to raise more money for the family.“Everybody has been very supportive,” Vincent said.

“This has just come out of the blue for them to do from the bottom of their hearts.“It’s just been very painful for us to see Raphael deteriorate in front of our eyes.

"Everybody thought he would be incredibly poorly right now, but he’s being extremely resilient."